I finished this a bit later than I expected but I have two excuses: 1. this chapter turned out to be longer than I expected it to be and 2. I got a Wii yesterday and I'm already addicted to Twilight princess. '

So, this is the final chapter. Tell what you thought about it.

Darkredeyes: That would be boring if Shizuru appeared just in time on Christmas eve, preferably in a red Santa Claus' dress.

tittiD: I intended to make the story not too predictable but I hope you like the ending.

kikyo4ever: Honestly I completely forgot about Shizuru's b-day when I wrote this (bad me), but of course Natsuki has send her a present. Probably something from Victoria's Secret. ;)

midorihitomi: That conversation with Nao just popped up in my mind and I thought why not?

Naolin: Thanks to the best beta! Would you have guessed it?

Natsuki giggled madly, though her breath kept running out with all the dodging she had to do. Shizuru had quite a good aim and her snowballs weren't easily to avoid. Maybe if Natsuki hadn't dissipated all of her ammunition in the first few minutes of their battle, she could counter now. Still it was fun having a snowball fight and more so having Shizuru back. A snowball whooshed past her ear with a buzzing sound.

Wait a minute, Natsuki thought, since when did snowballs make a buzzing sound?

She moved her arms a bit and turned herself around only to land face first on the floor of her living room. Damnit! It had only been a dream. For a moment she just lay still on the floor and tried to get herself together. Her arm must have bumped into the coffee table, judging from the pain in her elbow and her neck hurt a lot from sleeping crippled up on the couch.

The buzzing sound reappeared, but Natsuki couldn't place it. By the third time she recognized it as the doorbell and scrambled slowly to her feet. A second later she wished she hadn't. Natsuki's head felt like somebody was hitting it with a hammer, a very big and heavy hammer, to be more accurate. A rhythmic pounding, going along with her heartbeat.

For a moment Natsuki was tempted to just lie down again, but the annoying door rung once more, longer this time and so she stumbled in the direction where she remembered the door to be.

Ready to unleash her anger at whatever poor victim was standing outside she slammed the door open. "What the hell do you want?! Do you know what goddamn time it is?!"

"It is a quarter past eleven, a good time to get up even for your standards." The other person calmly said, not in the least impressed by Natsuki's outburst.

Natsuki blinked. Twice. "Mai? What are you doing here?"

"Well you sounded quite down when you called yesterday. I thought I'd look how you're doing."

"Oh, alright." Natsuki said sheepishly and stepped aside, letting the redhead enter.

Mai firmly entered and Natsuki trailed after her. "My God Natsuki, it's as dark as a cave and it smells like some old bar!"

She placed two bags on the kitchen counter and then marched over to open the curtains and the windows as well. When she turned around she gaped, seeing Natsuki for the first time in daylight.

"What?" Natsuki asked.

"Nothing." Mai replied surveyed the scenery. "You just look like you have been overrun by a truck. But" she gestured towards the assembly of empty bottles on the coffee table. "it's no wonder, I guess."

"That bit doesn't take me down." Natsuki replied, trying to act as though her head wasn't feeling like being slowly mashed. "Anyways, what's in those bags?"

But Mai wasn't buying the tough girl image, the amount of alcohol Natsuki had apparently consumed would have been enough to render a horse senseless and by all accounts it was fairly enough to deliver a pretty headache.

"Get in the shower and make yourself a bit more presentable, while I clean up that mess." She said and started picking up empty bottles.

"You don't have to. I can do that myself." Natsuki pushed herself away from the wall and picked up two pizza boxes. A hiss escaped her mouth as her vision went black for a fraction, the pain doubling from the blood flow into her head. She tried to suppress it, but her friend heard it nevertheless. Gently she took the pizza boxes out of her hands and ushered Natsuki over to the bathroom. "I'm sure you're capable, but not now. So go in there and let me take care of the rest."

Natsuki silently obeyed this time, not in the mood for a tiring argument.

"Cold water might be a help!" Mai called after her, before she closed the bathroom door.

Tate, Natsuki thought, was to be envied with a wife like Mai, for when she left the bathroom the living room was all tidied up, a delicious smell wavered over from her kitchen and Mai emerged in front of her, holding out a glass of water and two aspirins. Hopefully that guy knew just how good he was off. If not she might go and remind him sometime.

Gratefully she took the offered medicine and followed Mai into the kitchen, where the redhead was already busy stirring in a pot. She tasted a spoon and obviously was satisfied with the result, she turned around.

"I took the liberty off stocking up your supplies as I head bought too much for us anyways."

When she saw the helpless look on Natsuki's face she quickly added "Just some basic things like bread and some rice, and I put eggs and some cheese into your fridge, so that you don't have to live on instant food through the holidays. And you can heat up the rest of the curry for the evening." She made a wave of her hand backwards to the pot.

"Okay." Natsuki was still rather monosyllabic as her tongue felt incredibly heavy and clumsy, thought the shower certainly had helped to clear her clouded mind a bit.

Mai turned around stirring in the curry again.

"Shouldn't you be at home and cooking lunch over there?" Natsuki suddenly asked when she registered the clock consciously for the first time of the day.

"Oh no, on the 25th we're always invited to Yuichi's family for lunch and coffee and his mother doesn't like me that much. Actually I'm glad I could stay behind and tell him I have to look after you"

"So I'm just an excuse?" Not that Natsuki would have cared if she got a delicious meal for being an excuse.

"No, I was really worried about you after your call." Mai assured her. "You sounded quite depressed to me. If not today, I certainly would've come by tomorrow, since knew you were alone. You must miss her a lot."

Out of an impulse Natsuki hugged her friend from behind. "Thank you, Mai."

Mai turned and folded her arms around the Natsuki. "It's okay, she'll come back to you. And if you're lonely just come over."

"You're truly a good friend." Natsuki said when she stepped away.

"Of course I am." She said, giving her thumbs up. "Well then, I must be going. If I miss out lunch and coffee Yuichi will be moping around. He considers it an insult to his dear mama."

"Oh boy!" Natsuki shook her head.

"Yes, but for the love of harmony I have to. See you around." She briefly hugged Natsuki again and then left.

Alone once again, Natsuki inspected the fridge in search of overhealthy food Mai might have tried to slip her, but it was just as she had said: some eggs, three different types of cheese and a bit of yogurt. Hunger finally making its presence known with a loud stomach growl, she gave in and helped herself to some curry. Just like any food Mai made it, it was delicious. Natsuki immediately helped herself to another plate once she finished the first. By now she was feeling considerably well; her stomach was full, her apartment had been cleaned and the aspirins had kicked in and blown her headache away. She considered a third helping but she was already full.

Just when Natsuki had washed the dishes and put the left curry in the fridge, the doorbell rung again. She glanced at her watch. About three p.m. Maybe Mai had come back after the coffee to escape her monster-in-law.

Natsuki opened the door. She froze.

"Hello Natsuki." The other one greeted her. A calm, even and composed voice. The very same voice she had talked to over the phone every night.

Hesitantly Natsuki took one step forward, one hand outstretched as if Shizuru might waver and vanish any moment. Slowly she brought her hand up and touched her cheek. It felt cold from the winter air, but despite her fears she didn't vanish into thin air.

"You're back." she only aspirated the words. Then she flung her arms around Shizuru, pressing her close, as close as possible.

Shizuru responded with an equally fierce and forceful embrace, placing a kiss on Natsuki's cheek. Once she felt the cold lips on her warm skin, she became aware that they were still outside, exposed to the icy December air. She let go of her love and picked up the suitcase with one hand, dragging Shizuru in with the other.

When Shizuru had hung up her coat and Natsuki had carried the suitcase into the bedroom they stood in the hallway. Neither said a word. It was stupid, Natsuki scolded herself. She had wanted Shizuru back and now she didn't have anything to say to her. She wanted to say so much, but now nothing seemed important enough to be spoken aloud. Shizuru simply waited for a reaction from Natsuki.

"I guess you would like some tea, to warm up?" she finally asked. It was the only thing she could imagine to say that didn't sound either stupid or meaningless.

"Yes please. That would be nice. You can't imagine what efforts it takes to get a halfway decent tea in America." Shizuru answered.

Natsuki chuckled. "I think so. I'll be over in a few minutes, just make yourself comfortable."

She vanished into the kitchen out of Shizuru's sight and hastily put the aspirin pack away. Luckily Mai had already disposed the bottles earlier. No need for Shizuru to know that Natsuki had gotten herself a hangover as a Christmas present.

By the time she brought the tea into their living room Natsuki's initial shock over that happy surprise had faded. Now first of all she was curious how it had happened.

"How on earth did you show up here today Shizuru? I thought you had to stay until they have found a replacement for that deal you mentioned."

Shizuru pulled a face. "Do you not want me here? Is that it? I travel hundreds of miles to be with you and that's all you've got to say?"

"No, it's not that! I'm very happy you're here. Hell, I could do a dance right now! But I don't get the how." Natsuki stammered.

Shizuru just moved in and kissed her. Long and deep. With a tenderness as if she explored her love's mouth for the first time. When she pulled away she laid her face at Natsuki's shoulder. "I don't want to talk about business now. When you called me yesterday you sounded so forlorn. In that moment you broke my armour. I told myself I can spend the whole year with you when I get back and that two or three more weeks wouldn't hurt, but then I heard your voice and" she took Natsuki's hand" I can't really describe what I felt, but I knew I wanted to be with you more than anything."

Natsuki placed a kiss on her hand. "And then, what did you tell your colleagues?"

"You'll bug me till I tell you, won't you?" she sighed. "I told them to take a week off and spend some time with their families like I had to go to my family. Next I drove to the airport to take the next plane to Tokyo."

"Does that mean you'll leave me for Kyoto tomorrow?" Natsuki asked a slight trace of apprehension in her voice.

"Of course not, silly. You're my family. Though it means I'll be leaving again on the evening of the first of January."

"That doesn't matter." She assured her. "Having you with me now is more than I dreamed of."

Shizuru settled her head in Natsuki's lap and she in return folded her arms around Shizuru's belly. Shizuru yawned a little.

"Are you tired?"

A bit. It must have been the flight."

Shizuru closed her eyes, nuzzling a bit closer.

"Natsuki?" she asked sleepily

"Yes?"

"Can we pretend today's Christmas?"

She smiled. "Of course my love."

"Merry Christmas, Natsuki." Shizuru said.

"Merry Christmas." She placed a light kiss on her lips.

The light was fading, in fact it was almost dark outside and only a dim gleam of light from the kitchen shown over. Briefly Natsuki considered standing up and turning on the lights, but didn't. She rather enjoyed holding Shizuru close to her.

When she looked outside she saw a few snowflakes dancing in the light of street lamp. She watched them a bit. They soon got more, numerous hovering down from the dark sky and passing by her window.

"It seems you brought the snow with you from Chicago." Natsuki told Shizuru. "Shall we now go out and walk in the snow together?"

There was no reply. Natsuki lowered her gaze to the figure in her lap and realized that Shizuru had fallen asleep. Only a low, steady breathing emerged from her lips. Natsuki stroked her hair. "Then we'll go tomorrow." she said.